It Can't Be Helped
by SerenNoir
Summary: What happens when you stick Naruto in the same house with Sasuke? Chaos? Violence? Or something else? What things do you have control over? What things can't be helped? Rated T for future chapters. SasuNaru
1. Prolouge: Of all the stupid things!

**It Can't Be Helped**

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**Author: Mask of Mirage**

**Rating: M**

**Comments: Because it seems I'm never satisfied with anything I write, this whole story has been revamped and edited for my own personal reasons. This story has received many positive responses and if you've read this before then I hope it's even better than the first botched-up try. If you're new, why hello?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything affiliated. **

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**Prologue: Of All The Stupid Things!**

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Flames licked the evening sky and the bright embers sparkled patterns across the canvas of navy blue. The sound of shattering glass could be heard from the ground where a small group of civilians had gathered to watch the blazing inferno. A hysterical teenager ran back and forth in front of his apartment.

"No, no, not good," he yelled, desperately blowing on the flames, thinking he could extinguish them. His golden hair was illuminated against the raging backdrop of fire and his eyes glowed a burnt orange.

A great groan was issued from the building and the roof caved in upon itself with a deafening crunch. Naruto Uzumaki fell to his soot-blackened knees and buried his head in his hands.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto," Sakura said, wrapping her arms around her friend. She could feel his shoulders shake beneath her firm hold. "It's okay to cry," she whispered soothingly. She was surprised to hear Naruto giggling instead. "Wait, I'm confused. Why are you laughing?"

"Well shit," he replied between breaths of fresh air. "Next time I'll remember to turn off the burner."

A loud thud rang out among the crowd as Sakura's fist collided with his temple.

"Ow! What did you do that for," he whined, rubbing the growing knot on his head.

"Baka, you could have been killed! Yet you sit here laughing," she reprimanded, cracking her knuckles menacingly.

"I still don't see why you had to hit me though," the blond muttered under his breath, wincing when he accidentally pressed down too hard on the knot.

Sakura exhaled a deep sigh. Naruto sure had a way of getting under her skin even when he wasn't even trying to. "Come on," she said, pulling him to his feet," we have to go see the Hokage and tell her about this."

Naruto's face fell at these words and it took all of Sakura's strength to drag her fear-stricken friend across town.

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"YOU DID WHAT!" Tsunade yelled, slamming her sake down on the table hard enough to splash Sakura and Naruto in front of her, Shizune to her immediate left and the small, unsuspecting spider beneath the desk.

Naruto cowered beneath his chair, deathly afraid of the loud drunk woman who glared ferociously down upon him. He swore up and down, to this day, that her nails grew an extra inch or two.

"He burnt his apartment down, sensei," Sakura replied for the frightened kitsune.

The Godaime Hokage slunk back in her chair, hand clasped to her forehead as if willing an impending migraine away. "We'll have to find you a place to stay then, I guess."

"My mother probably won't let him stay at my place but you might try the Hyuuga's," Sakura piped in.

Tsunade shook her head. "No, Hiashi would have my head on a pike."

"What about Shikamaru?"

"That won't work either. Him, Aburame, Inuzuka, and Lee are away on a mission. There's only one possible option left and I doubt either will like it." She turned to Naruto, her eyes piercing in their liquid amber gaze. "He's the only one. Unless you prefer to live on the street, that is?"

Recognition seemed to dawn in Naruto's cerulean eyes as they widened and his mouth dropped open, ready to fire a protest. "Oh, come on, you can do better than that! Of all the people in the village? I have a better chance of going to live with Gaara than him."

"It's the only way, Naruto. Only till you get back on your feet. You can survive a few months, can't you," Tsunade replied, hope dancing in her eyes.

His face softened and a bright bubbly look filled his eyes. Finally, the old Naruto was resurfacing and Tsunade could barely believe her plan had worked so well. It _was_ the only option left although she, herself, wasn't too sure how well it was going to be received by the other, more unfortunate, party.

"Of course I can-ttebayo!" Naruto declared enthusiastically, dragging Sakura out of the office behind him, fully intending to hassle the rosette into helping him pack what little he had left.

"Shizune, call him up here in the morning," Tsunade murmured drearily, taking a deep swig of her sake before refilling it. "I have a feeling Uchiha's not going to like this. Might as well wait till morning. No use waking him just to deliver some bad news."

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**A/N: That's the end of the first chapter. I realize it was quite short but I meant it as a prologue of sorts. If you haven't figured out yet, the person Naruto will be staying with is in fact Sasuke Uchiha. **


	2. Chapter 1: Morning Person? I think not!

**It Can't Be Helped**

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**Author: Mask of Mirage**

**Rating: M**

**Comments: I failed to mention that the timeline is after Sasuke has come back from defecting from the village. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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**Chapter 1: Morning Person? I Think Not!**

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The early morning larks chirped pleasantly. Way too damn pleasantly. Or so it seemed to Sasuke as he made his way sleepily to the Hokage Tower. He was not a morning person; prone to throw things at people who were and if objects were not at hand, deathly glares from hell would suffice.

At quite frankly the butt-crack of dawn, he awoke to someone yelling at him to get his ass up to the Hokage. Normally, the only time he was requested at such an hour was if and only if there were dire emergencies in store. So in short, Sasuke was tired, agitated and all in all pissed off that his weapons weren't as spotless as he could have made them if he was given this information the day before.

_'There better be a goddamned nuclear war,'_ he thought sullenly to himself.

His footsteps echoed down the corridor where all the rooms were quiet within. Everyone was at home in bed, where his ass should be. He slumped up against the wall, hands shoved deep in his pockets, resuming the well-known Sasuke Uchiha bad-boy stance.

"Glad you could make it," a voice said, breaking his silence. _'Damn, I was almost asleep, too,'_ he thought. Tsunade stood there, coffee cup in hand. "Come, sit down, we need to talk," she said, motioning with her hand.

Sasuke followed the heavy-bosomed woman into her office and sat down in the chair across from her. It made a rather unpleasant, awkward squeak as he slid into it. The lady in front of him seemed to be carefully contemplating her thoughts as she took a sip from her cup. Finally she spoke,

"There's something I would like to ask you Sasuke-san?"

Sasuke gave her a blank stare. "If you're asking if I would participate in the Cherry Blossom parade, I've already answered. It's still a no."

"Oh, no, no, no, that's not it," she giggled. Sasuke didn't like where this was going. Her laugh sounded too hollow and forced.

"It's to be assumed that you have empty rooms in your household, right? Seeing as you're the last of your clan," she continued.

_'Way to bring up suppressed memories, you old hag,'_ Sasuke thought vehemently. "Yes," he voiced monotously.

"Well," she cleared her throat, " I was perhaps wondering if you minded letting someone stay with you for a couple of months. Just until they get back up on their feet and find themselves their own housing arrangements."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "My home is not a homeless shelter."

"Please, Sasu-chan it would lift some heavy weight off my shoulders," she pleaded, leaning forward ever so slightly to where the top of her cleavage was visible. Sasuke shuddered inwardly at the blatant exposure of old lady breasts. Apparently her aging jutsu only had affect on her face.

"Even if I said no, you would still send them my way and if I still refused, you would make it an order from the Hokage."

Tsunade smiled, " You know me too well. Thank you, Uchiha. You're a lifesaver."

"No problem," he replied, his voice laced thick with sarcasm. It went unnoticed as she busied herself with paperwork. "Who's the person?" he inquired, curiosity getting the better of him. After all they would be staying at _his_ house.

"Oh... just Uzumaki," she mumbled, not bothering to look up.

Sasuke's jaw hit the floor and his left eye twitched in a series of sporadic spasms.

"What?! Naruto?! No, he can't live with me."

"You've already agreed," came Tsunade's uninterested reply.

"Well, I'm un-agreeing then!"

"Sorry Sasuke, you made a deal."

It was then that Sasuke got desperate, lowering himself to last-resort measures. Dropping to his knees, he launched himself at the woman's ankles.

"Please, please Hokage. Anybody but Naruto. Send Sakura even but not Naruto. Never Naruto!"

Tsunade was in utter shock, her mouth hanging open like a water-deprived fish. Not only was someone latched onto her feet, but it was Sasuke nonetheless. What happened to the _I-don't-care-I'm-only-out-to-avenge-my-_family now turned to _I-don't-care-I'm-only-out-to-repopulate-my-clan _attitude? And of all people, Sasuke was the last person she expected to grovel!

She stared, open-mouthed, at the nearly grown boy on the floor, sporting the most adorable to-die-for pout that was sure to make the fan girls pass out from swooning. "I'm sorry Sasuke but a deal's a deal," she replied, completely ignoring the puppy face.

"Please," he begged one last time, his voice hitting an abnormal pitch. There was no comment from the woman.

Seeing that she wasn't going to budge, Sasuke got up with what dignity he had left, though it was scarce, and stormed out of the office. You were a retard if you could not see the waves of anger rising from his figure as he stomped all the way home. Most quickly caught the drift and steered themselves away. Others did not have the previous knowledge and were not so lucky. Tell that to the old woman he knocked over, the puppy he sent flying into the next dimension, and the little kid he bitch-smacked.

For Uchiha Sasuke does not slap, he smacks.

The world breathed a sigh of relief as the boy collapsed on his bed and promptly fell back asleep.

Sasuke was not a morning person. Nope.

Not at all.

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**Author's Note: Still pretty short. Ah well.**


	3. Chapter 2: House of Hell

**It Can't Be Helped**

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**Author: Mask of Mirage**

**Rating: M**

**Comments: I apologize if I kept you waiting but I was having some writer's block on some parts. I also have Ch. 4 in the works and will be posted soon. Also, the time setting in this chapter is technically the same day as the last chapter just later that day around dusk or so.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and the name Horo-Horo which I borrowed from Shaman King, though I do own the hyphen:)**

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**Chapter 2: House of Hell**

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Naruto impatiently rocked back and forth on his heels as he knocked for what seemed like the thousandth time on Sasuke's door. "Come on teme, it's pretty spooky out here," he mumbled quietly to himself.

He clutched his black knapsack tighter to his shoulder, eyeing the long black willows surrounding the out perimeters of Sasuke's house. Naruto raised his hand to knock once more when the door suddenly swung open to reveal a very disheveled and a very pissed Uchiha.

"Oh, it's you," he said not bothering to hide the displeasure in his voice. His hair was slightly mussed from it's usually pristine state and his clothing was crumpled as if they had been slept in.

"Nice to see you too, Sasuke," Naruto replied, entering the threshold, ignoring the potent glare aimed his way.

He was immediately hit with how dark blue it was. And clean. The room he was standing in appeared to be the living room, furnished with dark heavy tapestries that blocked out any light brave enough to even enter in the first place. Naruto glanced over at Sasuke who stood next to him, arms crossed and a look of annoyance on his face. The usual Sasuke-like demeanor.

"Nice place," Naruto murmured. It earned him a snort from the other boy.

"Okay, listen up dobe. This is my house and I'm going to lay down some ground rules. First of all, you will not bother me. Leave me alone. Secondly, don't break anything. If you do, I'll kick your ass and you'll replace the item. Lastly and most importantly, under no circumstances, do not go into my room. I don't care if someone is trying to gouge out your eyes with a ice pick, never set foot in my room. Understood?"

Naruto nodded. "Uh...where is _my_ room?"

"Down the hall, last door on your left. I'm going out. You do whatever, just don't bother me. There's a spare key on your dresser." And without another word, Sasuke left, leaving Naruto alone in the strange house.

The fact didn't bother him so much anymore when he stepped foot into his bedroom. It was enormous! There were large sliding doors that led outside, a fireplace that had intricate designs etched into the stone, and a four-poster bed to boot.

He dropped his bag at the door, looked back down the hallway to make certain Sasuke had truly left and ran headlong toward the bed, leaping into it. It was like a huge marshmallow, swallowing him up in plush softness.

"I have got to get me one of these," he sighed. Rolling over on his elbows, he gazed out the glass doors and into the courtyard that was beyond. In his peripheral he noticed a black blur shoot through the shadows, disappearing around a nearby bench. Getting to his feet, he tiptoed to the doors and quietly slid them open.

The late evening sun cast darkness over the area, making the place look more frightening than it actually was. Naruto jumped when the blur darted past once more. This time he caught a glimpse of bright yellow eyes before the creature scampered underneath a bush. Summoning all of his courage, he crept to the bush and gingerly kicked it. At once, the creature came out and Naruto emitted a girly scream.

_Meow._

It was a cat. Naruto felt incredibly stupid for being scared by a dumb old cat. Said feline was staring up at him with its glowing orbs. _Meow,"_ it uttered as its little head cocked to the side.

This thing was unbearably cute. It was actually beginning to get to Naruto, he not being used to things so adorable. Gingerly picking it up, he cradled it in his arms. When it began to purr, Naruto had to mentally smash the idea of "Awwing."

"His name is Horo-Horo," came a voice behind him. Naruto spun around, startled, toward the source. Sasuke had his hands shoved deep in his pockets, looking nothing but amused.

" Horo-Horo? This is your cat? You have a cat?," Naruto asked, not believing that the stick-up-ass Sasuke actually_ liked _cats.

"Be careful. He has mood swings," Sasuke replied, ignoring Naruto's questions. As if on cue, Horo-Horo raised the fur on his back, hissed, and spat. Naruto immediately dropped the angered feline, but not before receiving a souvenir, courtesy of Horo-Horo's sharp claws. The cat dashed into Naruto's room and out his door, his fluffy black tail swishing in defiance.

"Ow," Naruto muttered, touching the stinging cut on his cheek.

Sasuke smirked. "That means he likes you."

When he began to go back into the house, Naruto shadowed his steps, full of questions. "I thought you said you were going out," the blond said, plopping his butt down in a chair.

"I_ did_ go out," Sasuke replied, disappearing into what appeared to be a kitchen.

"That didn't take long," Naruto continued, realizing that the chair he sat in spun.

"So."

Sasuke had come back out and was currently leaning against the door frame. Naruto halted his spinning and stared at the onyx-eyed boy. Sasuke stared back. They seemed to have a lot of staring wars these days. It was a great feat to beat your opponent by getting them to break eye contact. At least it was for these two ninjas.

Naruto was starting to get desperate; his eyes were beginning to sting from not blinking. Casually crossing his arms behind his head in the way he does, he stuck his tongue out at the Uchiha…

…and got the reaction he wanted.

"You're so immature, Dobe," Sasuke sneered, disgusted. "I'm going to bed."

"Hey, I won you know!" Naruto called after him.

"Whatever," came the reply.

"My, my, Sasuke-teme. What bug crawled up into the wee crevices of your ass and died?"

"Shut up," the boy muttered, slamming his bedroom door.

Naruto sighed. Sasuke could be such a jerk sometimes. Dragging his feet, Naruto was fully prepared to go to his own bed. Unfortunately, the demon cat from hell had lounged his fat, fluffy self on top of the pillows.

"Okay Horo-Horo, get off," Naruto said monotously.

The cat stared at him like he was the dumbest thing on the planet. "Fine, I'll just sleep right here," Naruto sighed, curling into a ball at the foot of the bed. The last thought that crossed his mind as he fell into a troubled sleep was,

_"Kami hates me."_

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**Author's Note: Horo-Horo is an unexpected addition to the story. Be prepared to see him again in future chapters. I gave him a split-personality because I like to think of him as Sasuke's inner muse. **

**Release your inner kitty, Sasuke!**

**Mask of Mirage**


	4. Chapter 3: Sasuke's Woes

**It Can't Be Helped**

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**Author: Mask of Mirage**

**Rating: M**

**Comments: Warnings for angst and self-mutilation.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor do I own any characters from Teletubbies.**

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**Chapter 3: Sasuke's Woes****

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"Come Horo-Horo," Sasuke called as he poured the food into the cat's bowl. The feline immediately pounced on the food, emitting soft growls as he scarfed it down. Sasuke gently scratched behind its ears, running his hand down the length of his back and tail.

Standing from his crouching position, he quietly made his way to Naruto's room. The blond was sprawled at the foot of the bed, legs and arms twisted in the sheets and snoring softly. Sasuke allowed a small smile to grace his features.

_'He looks so comfortable and relaxed and cute...wait...no...not cute,' _he argued with himself.

He shouldered away from the door and rubbed his temple. "I cannot believe I just thought that," Sasuke muttered, entering his own bedroom. His room was dark and clean, just like the rest of his house. No secret room where he genetically crossed bred monkeys and Horo-Horo's cat litter. No painstakingly drawn-out plans on how to take over the world. No posters of some young children's cartoon hung on his wall nor Po from Teletubbies resting on his pillow.

All he had was a fairly spacious bed, a dresser, a chair, and a few swords that hung on racks on the walls which he often got down and polished till they gleamed. It was quite similar to the room Naruto was staying in.

Sasuke flopped on his bed, crossing his arms in front of him. Tugging gently at his wrist band, he pulled it back to reveal a criss-cross pattern of scars that spread from his wrist to his forearm. No one knew he used to cut himself and he gave it up years ago. It was one of the many things he kept secret, one of the things that ate him alive inside. He tried so hard to not become like his brother; to be able to feel pain and emotion. He succeeded.

He almost showed Naruto once but that annoying Sakura popped up out of nowhere, in the tendency that she does, and Sasuke managed to pull his armband back up before either could see. He remembered that day as clear as yesterday. It was the day that he realized that he could trust Naruto...

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_Flashback:_

_They were sitting on the training grounds, spent from their long sparring. Both boys lay on their backs, hands behind their heads, staring up at the clouds. _

_"Hey, Naruto," Sasuke whispered against the wind._

_"Hm?"_

_"Do you ever feel like life's not worth it; that we should just quit while we're ahead." There was a long pause and Sasuke feared Naruto had fallen asleep or worse yet, he had scared him off._

_"Yeah. All the time; trouble is, I can't quit. It's my nindo, my ninja way."_

_Sasuke fell silent. '**I consider him my best friend, I should be able to show him.' "**Hey, come here a sec."_

_Naruto, startled, rolled over quickly to where he was facing Sasuke. "What's wrong?"_

_Wordlessly, Sasuke slid his wristband up as Naruto watched patiently. _S_uddenly out of nowhere, Sakura popped up. Hey guys!" she yelled, excited. Naruto screamed and flailed around like a fish, obviously spooked._

_" Hi, Sasuke-kun," she smiled sweetly._

_"Hn," he replied, rewrapping his arm. Maybe he would show him another time._

_End Flashback_

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Sasuke sighed, rolling onto his back and staring at his ceiling at the glow-in-the-dark stars he placed up there when he was younger. '_How long have those been up there?'_

"Good Kami, I am bored," he exasperated, stretching his arms and legs over the bed.

"Then get up and do something already instead of lying there like a lump." Naruto stood in the doorway, respecting Sasuke's orders of not coming into his room. He was dressed in nothing but a pair of black pants, toothbrush dangling from his mouth.

_'Wow, Uzumaki looks...hot...wait...no...gross... Why am I thinking these things?" _he argued within himself.

"You can come in…" Sasuke invited monotously.

Naruto stared back, confused. "But you told me to never set foot in your room?"

"Idiot, I'm giving you permission to come in."

Naruto was hesitant. "I'll pass. This is your house and you made a rule about your room. I promised to never set foot in here and I'll stand by that. It's because I respect you."

Now it was Sasuke's turn to be confused.

_'Since when did he give a rat's ass about my wishes,' _he thought bewildered. _'He's really matured since I've been gone.'_

Naruto retreated down the hall, presumably back toward the bathroom. As his conscience began to remind him of the full extent that Naruto had matured and suddenly filling his head with the dirtiest, most erotic images of Naruto known to man. Clutching his head, he stumbled to the bathroom.

"Get out! I got to take a shower," he mumbled practically chunking the blond into the hall, the toothbrush still clutched between white teeth.

"Teme, what the hell!" exclaimed a startled Naruto, banging on the door. "I was in there!"

Sasuke slumped in the tub, the jets of steaming water scalding the nasty off his body. _'Why is this happening to me? Could I possibly be falling in love with Naruto? No...of course not. That's absurd.'_

Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Naruto was pacing in front of the door, clasping his side in what appeared to be pain.

"Come on Sasuke! I gotta pee!"

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**Author's Note: For all who thought that Sasuke had a boner, he didn't. He just needed to wash the dirty from him. Next chapter will be up soon. New character will appear and there will be some scenes that are not for the young ones.**

**Mask of Mirage**


	5. Chapter 4: Kiba's SeductionSasukes Rage

**It Can't Be Helped**

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**Author: Mask of Mirage**

**Rating: M**

**Comments: Okay in this chapter some situations arise so I have to change the rating for future chapters. I'm listening to Tears Don't Fall by Bullet for My Valentine, not that you really care either way, huh? It gives the story a mood. **

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**Chapter 4: Kiba's Seduction and Sasuke's Rage**

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"Come on Uzumaki, let's go get a drink," invited Kiba, motioning toward the general area of town. They had just finished with their sparring and Naruto was proud to say he whupped Inuzuka's ass...again. He had gotten much stronger since Sasuke had left and returned, that was for sure.

Sasuke.

He had been living with the cold, reclusive boy going on a month now. And to his surprise, he was enjoying himself. They were getting along with one another pretty well, better than they ever had. It was like Sasuke left as a blunt, emotionless jerk and came back as...well he was still blunt and often a jerk but it was as if he was changed somehow. They even fought less. Of course they had their periods of low insults that they often threw at one another but they knew that the other didn't truly mean it.

But as of late, Sasuke had been acting very strange. He often snapped at Naruto for no reason and talked to himself. Now if Naruto didn't have a demon sealed within him, he would've declared Sasuke mentally incompetent and would've committed him to a loony bin. Naruto figured that Sasuke was having a inner conflict he was fighting and eventually would conquer. Whatever it was, Naruto hoped it would go away soon because the looks he was getting from the Uchiha were a tad bit creepy.

"Yo, Naruto. You awake in there?" Kiba said, snapping his fingers in front of the blond's face.

Naruto jolted to reality. "Uh...yea. Just thinking," he replied, sliding onto the leather bar stool.

"What can I get you two young gentlemen?" questioned the bartender, directing it at Naruto. e was an overweight man of 40 with a bad personal hygiene issue and a habit of spitting. Naruto cringed and pushed the thought of pinching his nose out of his head.

"Six whiskeys, straight-up," Kiba replied for Naruto.

Their cups were set in front of them. Naruto only drank two but Kiba downed four. It burned like a raging fire down his throat. _Damn, how can Kiba do that without choking,' _he thought to himself, before sipping at his shotglass.

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They were on their way back to the training grounds a few hours later when Naruto started to feel a bit tipsy. He was never the one to hold his liquor well and he knew the whiskey had been a bad idea. They had just reached the clearing when all of a sudden he was forcibly slammed up against a tree. Kiba grasped both of his hands above his head as he nuzzled his neck, biting down hard on his collarbone.

At once the fog of drunk lifted and Naruto became fully aware of what was happening. He tried to build his chakra but the liquor had gotten in his system and was slowing the flow of it. In short, his attempts were futile. Kiba had moved his way up from Naruto's neck to his earlobe. Naruto gasped in pain when the boy bit down on it. Finally he found his voice,

"What the hell are you doing? Get off me!" he yelled, using his feet to try pushing the dog-boy off him.

In one quick movement, Kiba had both of Naruto's hands firmly grasped in one of his. Using his other hand, he pried Naruto's knees apart and stepped between them. The blond's eyes widened. He was way too close for comfort. Way too close! Hell, Naruto was practically straddling him!

Panicking, Naruto began to wiggle and squirm, anything to get out of this...position with Kiba. But the boy stood like a rock. _"What the hell? When did he become so strong? Just an hour earlier, I kicked his ass, now I can't escape from him."_

He could feel Kiba moving back down toward his throat, leaving clumsy, drunken kisses in his wake. The dark-headed boy grasped his shoulders, holding him in place. Before Naruto could do anything, Kiba sunk his sharp canines deep into the soft flesh of Naruto's neck, marking him with the primal instincts of his bloodline. Naruto let out a blood-curdling scream; the pain was so intense that black spots dotted his vision. He could feel himself slipping away into unconsciousness.

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Sasuke walked slowly toward the training grounds, lost deep in thought. Over the past month, he had been having trouble in the dirty thoughts department. Luckily, he was able to somewhat keep it under control. He used to walk into the kitchen for a snack, grab a banana and quickly drop it when his mind connected it with Naruto. Now, though, he could eat one without twitching an eye.

He was almost to the clearing when he heard the scream. Quickly building chakra in his feet, he raced to the grounds. What he saw made him stop dead in his tracks. Inuzuka had Naruto backed up against the tree, kissing him or necking him, whatever the hell he was doing.

Sasuke saw red.

A part of him opened inside and he felt an extraordinary amount of built-up rage pour out. He ran at the mutt. Poor Kiba never saw it coming as he was blindsided with a nasty right hook to the eye and on his back before he could comprehend the situation. Sasuke had his hands wrapped around the boy's neck, choking him to death. The monster that fed off power inside him grew stronger as his hands squeezed a little tighter.

The boy underneath him was gagging and gasping for air, his face changing to a light blue-ish tone. Sasuke heard a voice call his name but it sounded far away, somewhere off in the distance. The voice called again but he ignored it as he smirked at the sight of the boy's eyes taking on a foggy haze and then rolling back into his head.

Suddenly, he felt two strong arms wrap around his mid-section and he was dragged off Kiba. The boy stumbled slowly to his feet and stumbled off into the trees, a fearful look in his eyes. Sasuke was coming down from his rage-induced euphoric high when he heard Naruto whisper.

"It wouldn't have solved anything," he said, tightening his hold around Sasuke's waist and resting his cheek on the brunet's back. "I was scared. I didn't know what he was going to do but either way I was powerless to stop him."

Sasuke sat, contemplating exactly what he did just now. "I thought that he was going to hurt you. I got out of control. I was trying to look out for you," he murmured quietly.

He felt Naruto's arms circle tighter around his stomach. "Thank you, Sasuke."

Sasuke smiled. Not a smirk. Not a sadistic prepare-to-get-your-ass-kicked grin but a pure, genuine smile. He grasped Naruto's wrists in his grip. "Let's get you home...you stink." Slowly he stood up with Naruto clinging to his back.

"Aah...a piggy-back ride. Beats the hell out of walking."

Sasuke stopped abruptly when he felt a nose on the back of his head. What are you doing?" he asked.

"Your hair doesn't smell like gel," the blond on his back replied.

"Why in the hell are you smelling my hair?"

"You mean to tell me your hair is naturally...this gravity-defying?"

"Yes and so what? You're one to talk."

"I WAS RIGHT!"

"About what, Dobe?"

"You do descend from a long line of cockatiels," he replied happily, seconds before he was dropped on his ass.

"Walk on your own, idiot."

"Sasukeeee...wait for me!," Naruto called, stumbling to catch up with the other boy.

"You've been drinking, haven't you?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I haven't," Naruto replied innocently.

But that was before he turned green in the face and threw up all over Sasuke's shirt. With best friends like these, really, who needs enemies?

* * *

**Author's Note: For all those who thought that Sasuke and Naruto were going to "realize their feelings" for each other in this chapter, shame on you. Wait till the next. XD**


	6. Chapter 5: Newfound Feelings

**It Can't Be Helped**

* * *

**Author: Mask of Mirage**

**Rating: M**

**Comments: A new character makes their appearance in this chapter though he's only in one line but you might be presently surprised of who it is. I want to thank all my loyal reviewers. Without you my stories would be an unfinished piece of work. For readers are what make words a story.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Newfound Feelings**

Sasuke eyed the candy in the dish warily. Carefully selecting the smallest piece, he unwrapped it and popped the chocolate in his mouth and promptly gagged. Irritated, he spat the candy out in the wastebasket. It was no use. He just couldn't eat sweets; they disgusted him.

"Dammit," sounded loudly from the back. Sasuke slid from his chair and headed for the bathroom. Naruto was in there trying to administer a band-aid to his wound. From the looks of things, it wasn't going very well as there was a pile of unused band-aids wadded up in the sink.

"Could you help me with this," he exasperated, holding out a band-aid.

Sasuke smirked. "You're helpless, you know that," he said, maneuvering behind the blond. Removing the plastic backing from the adhesive, he smoothed it over the blond's neck. He felt the boy shiver beneath his fingertips. Sasuke dropped his hand instantly as though he had just been burned.

_'Why am I freaking out? Maybe my hands were cold or something. I've been able to control myself for almost a whole month. I can't lapse now!'_

Despite the fierce protesting in his head, his fingers moved on their own accord and grabbed hold of Naruto's headband that was lying on the counter. With deft movements, he swiftly tied it around the boy's neck, allowing his hands to linger a moment. Once again Naruto shivered beneath his touch.

"Umm...I have to go into town. Be back later," the kitsune faltered, bolting out of the bathroom. Sasuke was able to catch a quick glance of the deep red that tinted his whiskered cheeks.

* * *

"Sakura, open up! I need to talk to you!" Naruto yelled, banging on his teammates door. It swung open moments later to reveal a very much irritated Sakura.

"What do you want, Naruto," she asked monotously.

"There's something major wrong with me," he replied, pushing past her.

"There's _always _something wrong with you so why don't you save us all a lot of trouble and commit yourself already," she exasperated, shutting the door.

"No, but this time there's really…"

"Sakura, where are my pants?," came a voice from the hallway. Lee stood there dripping wet, a towel hung loosely about his waist. Naruto did a double take. Lee sweat-dropped and Sakura blushed a pink that put her hair to shame.

"Uhhh...never mind. I'll find them," Lee muttered quickly. With that said, he retreated to the back, leaving Naruto still in shock.

He turned to Sakura who was still cherry red. "I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that."

"That's good, cause if you breathe a word about it to anyone, I'll pummel you," she said, growing in size and growling down at him, anime-style. She then returned to normal height and put on a cheerful smile.

"Now, what did you need to talk about?" she asked sweetly, taking a drink from her glass next to her.

"I think I may be falling for someone. A guy, to be exact," he replied bluntly, not one to waste time by beating around the bush.

"Okay, that tells me virtually nothing. Who is it?"

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered, averting his eyes to the floor. Warm liquid splattered over him at this point and Sakura was grasping her throat and making choking noises.

"See, I told you it was major," the blond explained, helping the hyperventilating girl to a sitting position.

"Sas...Sasu...Sasuke?," she managed to croak out between gulps of air.

"It's horrible, isn't it," Naruto replied shamefully, casting his eyes to the ground.

"When did this happen!" the rosette questioned loudly before she dropped her voice lest Lee could overhear them.

"Well... I guess it started when Kiba attempted to rape me and Sasuke jumped in and beat the snot outta him and ..."

"Wait... hold on, Kiba tried to rape you?" Sakura interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

Naruto paused, the beginning of a twitch starting up in his left eye. "You're getting away from the point."

"Sorry, continue," Sakura replied.

"It was when he said that he was looking out for me, that I realized that I'm falling in love with him."

He nervously picked at a stray string on the hem of his jacket as he waited for the information to sink into Sakura's head. "What do I do, Sakura?" he pleaded.

"Well... this is Sasuke we're talking about so...do nothing."

"Nothing?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Don't do anything. Never change for someone, Naruto. Always be yourself. I learned the hard way when I crushed over him. Around him, I pretended to be someone I wasn't and as he so blatantly put it, I was annoying. Then I backed down and let the real me out. And he still wouldn't go out with me. But we're friends now, not just teammates. Naruto, listen to me, if you change on everyone else's whim, you'll start to lose sight of yourself and before long you'll be so far gone, even _you_ won't be able to find you."

"But what if he doesn't like the real me? I mean, we barely get along now, as it is."

"Then it's his loss. You are a special person Naruto and never ever forget that."

"Thanks Sakura," Naruto said, standing to his feet and wrapping his arms around his friend, burying his nose in her lavender-scented hair.

"Your welcome, Naruto," she smirked, " Sasuke? Good luck with that buddy."

* * *

Back at the Uchiha manor, Sasuke was sitting on the roof, watching the sunset. Horo-Horo was curled up snugly on his lap. This was his place to think, his place to escape the world. Even at times his place to cry, if need be.

Resting his headband on Horo-Horo's fluffy back, he slowly traced the marking until he came to the deep gash that ran diagonal down the Konoha symbol. He remembered when Naruto did that. Sasuke had told him that he wouldn't be able to touch him, not even put a scratch on his forehead protector.

But right before Naruto fell unconscious, he summoned the last vestiges of his energy and made a deep gash in the shiny metal. Naruto was always doing things like that, just to spite him. One of his many quirks that you hated, and yet, just couldn't help but like.

"Naruto," he said quietly to the wind," I think I'm in love with you."

* * *

**Mask of Mirage**


	7. Chapter 6: Sonambulism

**It Can't Be Helped**

* * *

**Author: Mask of Mirage**

**Rating: M**

**Comments: This chapter mostly is just a filler of sorts but Sasuke does reflect on his newfound feelings. Takes place the same night as the previous chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the song Cha-Cha slide.**

**Recommended Mood Song: Jesus Christ by Hyde**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Somnambulism**

* * *

_somnambulism n. The act of walking during sleep._

* * *

The midnight crickets chirped a soothing melody outside Sasuke's window. He lay in bed, arms behind his head, and stared at the stars on his ceiling. _'I really need to take those down,' _he thought to himself.

He was finally just slipping away into the netherworlds of sleep when his bedroom door swung open and made a loud thud as it hit the wall. Naruto stood there, his hair messier than usual. The funny thing was that Naruto was fast asleep, yet he was standing upright, swaying a bit on his toes.

With zombie-like movements, the blond made his way to the edge of the bed and slid in, curling up to Sasuke in the process. Sasuke shrunk away from the sleeping boy. He quickly concluded that Naruto was sleep-walking and had no idea what he was doing. If he was awake, he would've never entered the room. Naruto shifted in his sleep, casually throwing an arm around Sasuke, inadvertently pulling him close. Sasuke stiffened.

They were so close that if Sasuke stuck out his tongue it would have touched the tip of Naruto's nose. Immediately, the thought of him doing just that entered his head. At first it disgusted him but gradually he got a little curious.

_'What if he woke up? But he's fast asleep. He might not,' _he argued with himself. Making up his mind, he cautiously stuck out his tongue, all the while watching Naruto's face. Just when he was about to touch Naruto, the boy shifted in his sleep and muttered.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke froze and watched the kitsune's face. His eyelids fluttered briefly but other than that, he was dead to the world.

"I need... to tell...you," he murmured again.

This time Sasuke decided to experiment. "Tell me what, Naruto," he whispered to the blond.

"He can't know...he'll never understand," he said, suddenly sounding as if he was talking to an outside person.

"He might if you tell him," Sasuke probed, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from Naruto's forehead.

"He can't ever know...that I..."

"You what?," Sasuke whispered loudly, growing desperate.

"Love...him."

Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. Time seemed to stop for him as those words were spoken. He was floating along on waves of content euphoria, free from the world. Naruto felt the same way!

He glanced at the boy and the way the moonlight threw shadows on his golden hair and the way his lips parted slightly when he breathed enticed Sasuke. For the first time, Naruto built up a foreign emotion in the raven. Sasuke needed Naruto, wanted him. More than anything else in the world.'

Looking back over the past eight years, he realized Naruto never left his side. Even when he left for Orochimaru, Naruto immediately went after him. This boy meant more to him than anything. He would kill for Naruto and, if need be, die for him as well.

Smoothing the blond's hair back from his face, Sasuke did something that was totally unlike his demeanor. He gently lowered his lips and kissed him on the forehead. What he didn't expect when he opened his eyes were a pair of blue ones staring wide-eyed back at him.

"Sas…uke," he heard the boy croak out.

Sasuke immediately backed away from him, almost falling backwards off the bed. "I'm...sorry," Sasuke faltered for the first time in his life. Jumping to his feet, he bolted out of the room, leaving a startled Naruto still in the bed.

* * *

After regaining his composure, Naruto began to analyze the situation. _'First, why was I in Sasuke's room, in his bed! Second, why was he kissing me?'_

He tiptoed into the living room to find Sasuke on his knees in front of the stereo, flipping through stations. He knew Sasuke always found comfort in music when he was upset. Preferably the loud, heavy metal kind. He was skimming through stations when he seemingly felt someone else's presence in the room and glanced up.

"Sasuke," he question tenderly.

He noticed him raise his gaze to meet his then he quickly averted his eyes and resumed skimming channels.

* * *

Sasuke felt horrible, like a little boy who stole from the candy store. Naruto was too innocent and perfect and he had...well he had blood on his hands. He took advantage of him and felt dirty about it. What he would give to go jump in the shower and scald the sin from his flesh? He slammed his hand down on the stereo, irritated mostly with himself and the fact that no decent songs were on. Hot tears stung behind his eyelids as he turned his back. He still had too much stubborn pride for Naruto to see him cry.

"Here, let me," Naruto said, bending down and, with practiced ease, switched it to the nearest station. It wasn't a station that Sasuke normally listened to but it would do for the time being.

Some fast-tempo rap song was playing, probably one of the kinds that had a special dance to it. And sure enough,

"Hey, Sasuke- teme, do you know the steps to this song?" Naruto exclaimed, jumping to his feet and bouncing along to the beat.

"No, not really," Sasuke murmured, still ashamed.

"Come on, I'll teach you!"

Before Sasuke could protest, he was jerked to his feet alongside Naruto, obeying the commands the DJ yelled out.

_To the right. To the left._

Naruto began to slide back and forth across the carpet like some automaton.

_Take it back now, ya'll._

"Come on, Teme. Jump in anytime," Naruto yelled above the roar of the music.

Sasuke stared at him like he lost his mind. Did he not remember what went down in the other room? Why wasn't he yelling at the top of his lungs how an unimaginable, worthless loser Sasuke was? But no, here he was, forgiving all past grievances and requesting him to dance with him!

_'Hell, you only live once. Might as well make this life fun,' _he thought, jumping into the rhythm. Sure it was very uncharacteristic of him but really, _who_ was going to find out?

_Freeze, everybody clap your hands._

Horo-Horo watched, from his spot on the back of the couch, his master and his master's friend make complete asses of themselves. Sasuke was actually enjoying himself, having fun. But then Naruto did something that made his eyes widen and his heart speed up. _'Holy, Mother of God!'_

_Come on ya'll check it out_

_How low can you go?_

_Can you go down low?_

_All the way to da floor?_

Naruto was doing this one move where he was going to the floor, making it look like there was an invisible person beneath that he was, for lack of a better word, dry-humping! It was incredibly hot! Sasuke gaped at the boy, forbidden lust pooling in his loins.

_Can you bring it to the top?_

_Like it never never stop_

_Can you bring it to the top?_

Sasuke couldn't take it any longer. For too long, he controlled his instincts and turned a blind eye to his conscience. For too long, he ignored the nagging voice in his head that told him to confess to Naruto. And now that he knew the boy felt the same way, this was the opportune moment.

* * *

As soon as Naruto finished "bringing it to the top", he found himself jerked up to Sasuke who gently held his waist. Sasuke stared into his eyes with such intensity that Naruto felt his face heat up and his knees begin to quiver. He felt the other boy's hand cup the side of his face tenderly, silently asking.

In this moment, time suspended and all he could hear was their even breathing and the steady beating of someone's heart. It must have been Sasuke's cause Naruto was sure that his had ceased to beat. He searched the eyes of the formerly cold, emotionless boy and saw a spark of light, a beacon of hope in a midst of darkness.

He felt a hand at the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Just when their lips were about to meet, Sasuke stopped and stared at the blonde's mouth, seemingly contemplating his next move. Then just as suddenly as it came, the warmth receded and Sasuke resumed being his cold shell.

"I'm sorry," he faltered, backing up toward the door, "I can't."

Then he left, leaving Naruto alone. Sasuke had succeeded like everyone else in coming through with fate's plan for the demon-carrier.

_'No one stays,_' Naruto thought bitterly to himself.

* * *

**Author's Note: The reason Sasuke left is, though he loves Naruto and all, he still feels unworthy of him. I know most of you were hoping they would get it on like two rabbits in a field but I'm making this a long story and I can't have them doing that just yet.**

**Mask of Mirage**


	8. Chapter 7: Pridefilled Laments

**It Can't Be Helped**

* * *

**Author: Mask of Mirage**

**Rating: M**

**Comments: I hope no one hates me after the last chapter. I know everyone is anxious to see more Naruto and Sasuke but please wait a while.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto except for this plot line. I also do not own Honky-Tonk Badonkadonk.**

**Mood Song: World So Cold by Mudvayne**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Pride-filled Laments**

* * *

It had been a week since the night Sasuke bolted from the house. Naruto had seen him once since then and the silence was so awkward that Sasuke left the room before Naruto could get a word out. Since the incident, Naruto replayed the scene a million times in his head. Did he do something wrong? But then again Sasuke had made the first move.

These troublesome thoughts bounced around in his head as he walked back home from his meeting with the Hokage. He was being sent on a mission, an A-ranked one. There had been some assassination attempts over in Suna and Naruto had been appointed as a personal bodyguard to the Kazekage. Psh, like Gaara couldn't take care of himself.

He was to leave later that day and not return till the assassins were arrested or killed. If it was up to him, he would just let Gaara-sama annihilate the pricks and get it over with. But seeing as Gaara was trying to prove to everyone that he, in fact, can control himself, going around and destroying everyone would not prove well for his newly-found reputation.

The Uchiha mansion was dead quiet as he made his way to his room to pack. He sighed, "Looks like Sasuke's still avoiding me," he said to Horo-Horo who had taken the advantage to sprawl his fat self on the bed.

He quickly packed his things, petted the cat one last time and left, leaving his key on the counter. His steps were slow and dejected as he made his way to the village gates. He paused when he noticed a lone figure sitting on the pier, gazing out over the lake. His back was turned but the spiky, black hair gave it away to be none other than Sasuke.

He looked so sad and forlorn sitting there all vulnerable-like. Sasuke had lost his family when he was very young and Naruto was certain there were still scars on his heart. The one thing they had in common was that they were both orphans though Sasuke probably had the worst of it. He _knew_ his parents. Naruto did not, so he never got to experience a loving family and then the pain of them being taken away so suddenly. Sure there was a hollow void in his heart where that love should be but it's like with the nightmares little children have. If you never believed in monsters, you'd never have nightmares about them.

"Hey," he said, approaching the avenger. He sat down beside him, swinging his legs out over the edge of the pier. He noticed that Sasuke held his left arm in his lap, clutching his empty armband in his other hand. Naruto stared at the raven's arm, shocked to see the angry red welts that showed and then the light grey ones that lay underneath. He stayed silent as the boy grabbed a shiny, metal object from his lap and slowly ran it over his arm, little rivulets of blood flowing in its wake.

Wordlessly, Sasuke stared at the knife then tossed it into the water, letting it sink into the dark, quiet depths below. Naruto stayed silent but simply grasped Sasuke's wrist, applying pressure, in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "I got assigned a mission today," Naruto said, changing the subject.

" Oh." Sasuke's voice sounded uncharacteristically pained and distant.

"I'm going to be gone for a while," Naruto continued.

It was then that Sasuke raised his eyes to meet Naruto's. They were dark and quiet with what might have been pain.

"Tsunade also mentioned that they found me a new apartment. I bet you're pretty hyped about me getting out of your hair."

Sasuke gazed quickly back out over the lake, biting his lip.

"So...yea...um I got to get going. See you around, Sasuke," Naruto said, standing and brushing the seat of his pants off.

* * *

Sasuke watched him leave, his orange-and-black-clad figure fading into the distance. Although his body refused to move, his mind screamed, '_No...Naruto, come back...Don't leave. Don't leave me.'_

But he stayed rooted to his spot. For pride is a terrible, terrible thing.

* * *

" GET THE HELL OUT OF MY OFFICE! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! " a raspy voice yelled from inside the room.

Naruto debated on entering. Clearly the Kazekage was in a pissy mood. But then again what's new about that? The door suddenly swung open and two old men came rushing out, hands raised and screaming like little girls. Tendrils of sand trailed behind them, close on their heels. Naruto knocked tentatively on the frame.

The redhead shot up from his paperwork, a glare set on his features. His face immediately softened when he saw who it was.

"Oh, Naruto, come in," he said, gesturing toward the seat, that didn't also have paperwork, opposite his desk.

"Looks like you've got your work cut out for you," Naruto said, glancing over the stack of papers at Gaara who was in the middle of banging his head on his desk.

"If my advisors didn't have shit for brains, then I wouldn't have nearly this much."

"I'm sure you know why I'm here, right," Naruto asked.

Gaara looked up. "Oh yes, my secret "assassin", he said sarcastically, doing air quotes. "I know who it is. They just won't let me kill the bastard!" he whined, resuming the banging of his head upon his desk.

"I think you really need to get out of this stuffy office and go get a drink," Naruto replied, raising his eyebrow.

"Drink? Yes! Drinks are good! Let's go out and get a drink," the redhead exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Gaara led them down a hall till he stopped at a door that read _Temari._ He turned the knob and walked in.

Rule number 1: Always knock first. Always.

Gaara quickly came running back out. "Mmpther ucker," came the muffled reply, for Gaara had his hands clamped over his face.

Naruto was going to ask what was wrong but Temari showed up at that moment, tying her bathrobe in the process.

"Didn't anyone teach you to knock first," she whispered violently.

"You don't do _that_ in the middle of the day," he whispered back just as fiercely.

Naruto was beyond confused until a person showed up behind Temari. Shikamaru held a pillow in front of him, other than that he was butt-naked! Naruto quickly put two and two together and guess what he concluded; you got four!

"DRINK! I NEED A DRINK! SOMEONE PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SHOW ME TO THE DAMN ALCOHOL!," Gaara yelled, continuing down the hallway, muttering obscenities under his breath.

Naruto gave a quick thumbs-up to Shikamaru, who in turn returned the favor until Temari popped him upside the head, and ran to catch up with the fuming red down the hall. Oh yes, this would be quite a fun night.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Uchiha house, Sasuke lay in bed, his knees drawn up to his chest and his face buried in the pillows. Everything felt so cold to him. Everything seemed to be falling apart and he was too damn stubborn to stop it.

* * *

It was night at Suna. All was quiet and peaceful until someone's drunken singing broke through the crisp air.

"HONKY-TONK BADONKADONK, KEEPING PERFECT RHYTHM MAKE YOU WANNA SWING ALONG. GOT IT GOING ON LIKE DONKEY KONG."

Naruto stumbled under the weight of the delirious kid hanging on his shoulder. Of all the nights to bring his gourd! "Gaara, I think you've had too much to drink," Naruto said, yanking the redhead away from a hole that he was about to step in.

"No, I think I've had tooo much to drink. That's with three O's," he yelled loudly, holding up two fingers.

Naruto blinked. "Riiight, let's get you home."

"What was wrong with you tonight?"

"What do you mean what's wrong?"

"All night you've been off in your own little sphere-earthy-thingamabob and you didn't even drink," Gaara explained, temporarily forgetting what a world was.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. I've been thinking about some stuff."

"What "stuff"?"

Naruto debated on telling Gaara about Sasuke but then again Gaara was his friend and he was so wasted he probably wouldn't remember in the morning anyway. "I'm in love with someone and I'm not sure if they love me back. At least they never said they did," Naruto blurted out.

"Who?"

" Uchiha Sasuke," Naruto replied quietly.

"Isn't that the kid I fought in the finals?" the redhead questioned, slurring his words slightly.

"Yeah and I don't know what to do."

"You're asking the wrong person on the whole love thing. The least I can tell you is be honest with him."

Naruto stared at the ground. Off in the distance, a coyote howled a mournful song. _'Easier said than done.'_


	9. Chapter 8: Getting Even

**It Can't Be Helped**

* * *

**Author: Mask of Mirage**

**Rating: M**

**Comments: This chapter is not for the kiddies. Blood 'n' guts, you know the whole mess. This story will be wrapping up soon. **

**Disclaimer: I will never own.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Getting Even**

* * *

Naruto yawned deeply as his feet stumbled into the kitchen, absently rubbing at his stomach. Gaara was already there, sitting at the counter, bottles of aspirin lay on the marble tabletop before him.

"Get a good night's sleep, sunshine?" Naruto joked.

"Go to hell," the redhead mumbled from under his arms.

"Why aren't you in your office?" Naruto asked, opening the refrigerator and staring at its contents for something to eat. That was the thing about Suna, you couldn't find food that wasn't laced with sand and grit.

"They told me to take a day off. Apparently I've had too much work and not enough sleep," Gaara muttered.

"I'm sorry but it shows," Naruto replied, pouring a bowl of cereal, grinning up at the Suna shinobi whose forearms tensed with annoyance.

"I'm running out of places to tell you to go to," Gaara retorted back, raising his eyes from the table to glare at the blond.

"Whatever. Since you're off today, what do you wanna go do?" Naruto asked around a mouthful of Cheerios, a small trail of milk dribbling down his chin.

"Sleep," the redhead replied, rubbing his temples.

Naruto dropped his spoon in the bowl and shot Gaara a you-have-got-to-be-joking look.

"Ugh, fine. I'll show you around this place called Hell. I'm going to go get changed. Hurry up and finish eating," he gave in, getting up from his chair and dragging himself towards the back of the house.

Naruto couldn't see any reason not to take a pessimistic, homicidal redhead who also had a killer hangover into town.

Yet.

* * *

Sunagakure was hot. Put-an-egg-on-pavement-and-watch-it-fry hot! The air was so thick with sand that Gaara had to lend Naruto his face-mask. It surprised the blond that Gaara went without one and it didn't phase him a bit. He was right; this was Hell on earth. Naruto missed the lush greenery and cherry blossoms of Konoha.

They decided to visit the marketplace first. Shops of all kinds lined the narrow street, most of their curtains drawn to keep out the sand and the insects. Naruto slapped at a bug that landed on his arm. _'Aburame would have a field day,' _he thought, thinking of the insect-container.

He heard Gaara let out a low growl in front of him. There was a girl that blocked their path. She was holding up a small, yellow flower.

"I picked this for you, Kazekage-sama," she said sweetly, shoving her gift in Gaara's face. "I really like you a lot but my mother says I have to get older cause right now you're too old for me," she continued, her dark grey eyes darting innocently to the ground.

"Jeez kid," he snorted, "how old do you think I am?"

"Oh...umm...about 23?" she guessed, tapping her forehead, eyes rolling skyward in thought.

"Almost 17," he replied, bluntly. "How old are you?" Gaara continued.

"I just turned 15," she smiled brightly.

"Okay listen, age a couple more years then come find me," he retorted, pushing past her.

"That was kinda harsh, don't you think, Gaara?" Naruto piped up finally, growing bored of just standing on the sidelines.

"Kazekage-sama! I won't give up until you like me back!" her voice rang through the market.

Everyone stopped and stared at the threesome. And I mean everyone. The only sounds that could be heard were a wailing baby and the low growl that emitted once again from Gaara's throat. "What the fuck are you staring at?" Gaara yelled to the bystanders.

Immediately they went back to work, going about their business. Gaara stormed up to the girl who, unlike most people, did not shrink back in fear. "What do they call you?" he mumbled with forced patience.

"Abi," she replied, holding out her flower.

"Okay, thank you Abi. Right now I have some really important stuff to do, so may I go with the promise that I will contact you later on this evening?"

"Yes, thank you," she smiled before running off.

"Are you really going to talk to her?" Naruto asked as they continued their tour.

"I might," Gaara replied, twirling the wilting flower in his fingers.

Naruto stared at him, completely taken aback. "W-What do you mean _you might_?"

"What? She was cute...in a childish sort of way."

"I guess that gives me a good enough reason to tease you about her," Naruto said, a sly look reflecting in his orbs.

"You do that and I'll mess with you about Uchiha."

_'Crap, he remembered after all.'_

"I may have been wasted last night but I could tell that you really love this kid. It showed in your voice," Gaara continued.

They were now walking on the outskirts of the town. Out here was less noisy and crowded. "Hey, I wanna show you something," the redhead mumbled, leading them to a small stone structure. He stopped in front of a hollow tube.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, peering into the darkness beyond.

"Well, this right here isn't very interesting but it's what's beyond that I want you to see. See, the town used to stretch all the way out here but about two centuries ago, a huge sandstorm destroyed this part. This right here is an old sewage drain. You go first, I'll follow right behind."

"I'm not going down there. It's a _sewage_ drain," Naruto said stubbornly.

"It's been out of use for years. There's nothing down there," Gaara replied, growing agitated.

"I don't care. It's the thought of it, that counts," he replied, turning around and plopping his butt down on the edge of the drain.

Suddenly, Gaara got a wicked gleam in his eyes and Naruto felt himself falling backward into the dank, moldy darkness. "HOLY HELL, GET ME OUTTA HERE," Naruto yelled, digging his fingernails into the sides of the walls. He felt something bump into him from above.

"Naruto! What the fuck, let go!" Gaara's voice echoed in the drain.

"YOU PUSHED ME!"

"LET GO, BEFORE I DO MORE THAN PUSH YOU!"

Reaching blindly above him, he grasped Gaara's ankles like a frightened toddler. It seemed like hours to Naruto and yet they were still sliding down the dark pit of doom that led to their demise. Suddenly, bright sunlight pierced Naruto's eyes. He raised his head up to see Gaara sitting with his arms crossed, annoyance flashing across his face. "Hehe...sorry," Naruto faltered, detaching his death grip from the boy's ankles.

"We're here," the Suna nin replied, getting to his feet.

"Where's here?" Naruto questioned, raising himself up on his knees. The kitsune gaped at his surroundings. They were enclosed in an old bath house that had long since been out of business. It was so run-down and neglected that vegetation grew in through the cracks in the floor. Birds chirped cheerful sonnets in the branches above and the smell of wildflowers permeated his senses. "Wow, this is amazing! Where are we?" Naruto asked, running a finger over a termite-infested wooden railing.

"On the edges of Konoha forest."

"Konoha? Did we really slide that long?"

"Yeah. See, a long time ago (in a galaxy far far away ;D) there was a big dispute between us and Leaf. We wanted access through the forest when traveling to and from Sunagakure instead of going through the desert. Leaf refused saying it would harm the delicate ecosystem," Gaara said sarcastically. "Tree huggers," he added under his breath. "Anyway, some not-so-nice things were said and Leaf broke all ties to Sand. See, we Suna's aren't known for getting back, we get even. We built this drain so that all our village's sewer would flow into Konoha's most prized hot spring."

"Gross, why didn't you guys tear it down when things patched up?"

"Firstly, it would take forever and at that time we were beginning our alliance with Sound," Gaara finished, casting his eyes shamefully toward the ground.

The peacefulness of the spring was suddenly broken when Gaara's sand shot up to protect him from behind, a kunai embedded through it. A man stood on a branch above the two, a sneer crossing his features. It was Baki, Gaara's former sensei. Naruto threw himself in front of the redhead.

"What are you doing?" Gaara whispered fiercely.

"My job," Naruto replied, a look of loyal determination set on his face. He turned to the ninja in the tree. "So you're the assassin we've been looking for?"

Baki jumped to the ground. "Correct."

"Why would you want to kill your own student?" Naruto shot back.

"It was the dying wishes of the 4th Kazekage. He knew Gaara was to proceed him and become the next Kazekage. He wished him dead, like he always has."

Naruto heard Gaara growl softly behind him, the sand shifting in anger. "Well, you're going to have to go through me first," Naruto yelled.

"That gives me a little fun so I won't be totally bored," Baki deadpanned, studying his nails, before disappearing into thin air.

Naruto swung around, barely dodging the kick that was aimed at his head. Gaara was busy reciting his mantra that calls his third eye when Baki removed something from his pocket. It was a glass vile filled with water. Unscrewing the cap, he threw it on Gaara. The boy stood there, fingers still meshed together and hair dripping wet, anger quickly heating his face.

"Surprise! I'm not going to turn into mud cause I'm not _made_ out of sand!" he yelled through clenched teeth, wiping the water from his face. Suddenly his sea-foam eyes rolled into the back of his head and he toppled forward, his forehead striking a rock on impact.

Naruto stood motionless, mouth open wide in shock. "W-what did you do?" Naruto yelled, turning on the older man.

"It's called liquid tranquilizers," he said by way of explanation. "Gaara's sand didn't see it as an enemy thus made no move to put up a defense."

"You bastard! Of all the low things to do! I'm not going to let you get your hands on Gaara," Naruto ran at the man who easily dodged the offending kunai. Baki flickered behind the blond and whispered in his ear, "Close, but your aim needs improvement."

Naruto snarled and turned on him. "All right, I was going to go easy on you at first. _Shadow Clone Jutsu_," he summoned.

Immediately five duplicates of Naruto appeared. They all ran at the Sand nin, a kunai in each hand. The first jumped on the man's back and was quickly "popped." Two aimed kicks for the gut but were also gone with a quick flick of the wrist. It was down to two left, the real Naruto and the clone.

One of them charged at the Jounin. Thinking it was another clone, Baki simply put his hand up to block it. What he didn't expect was a kunai to be embedded deep into his palm and his feet kicked out from under him.

Getting irritated, Baki took out a kunai and expertly threw it at Naruto with practiced ease. It hit him in the left arm, pinning him to the tree behind him. Baki smirked.

"I overheard your conversation with Gaara last night. Uchiha, huh? Very interesting, in the least. You do realize your feelings for him are futile for he will never love you back."

Naruto mentally cringed, this thought alone taking his mind off the pain in his arm.

"You're a monster, just like Gaara."

_'I'm not a monster.'_

"No one loves a monster."

_'I am loved.'_

"You are a reject of Hell, you do not belong here among the living. So do everyone a favor and die."

Suddenly, three things happened at once. First, Naruto's eyes turned a crimson red, the pupils shrinking to slits. Second, his hands flexed at the sudden lengthening of his fingernails. The third was the sound of ripping flesh as Naruto detached himself from the tree from which he was pinned.

Naruto leapt onto his clone and flew through the air, aimed for the Sand nin. He felt the surge of power that trailed down his spine as he felt his nails ripping through human flesh and tendons. He landed not far away on all fours, panting heavily.

Baki's head swiveled on its axis before toppling to the ground. It rolled to a stop at the base of the tree, crimson rivulets running from the corners of his eyes and staining the ground a metallic color. All this happened in the time-span of 30 seconds.

Naruto crouched on the ground, the smell of fresh blood nauseating him. Sharp bursts of pain shot through his left arm, producing a sick, vile taste in his mouth. Crawling toward the still-unconscious Gaara, he gently shook him. The Sand nin grunted before opening his pale eyes.

"Fuck, my head," he whined pitifully, gently touching the bloody wound on his forehead.

"Are you alright?" Naruto asked, helping him to a sitting position.

"Sorta. I can't believe I fainted. What a blow to the ego. If anyone asks there were hundreds and I got this wound from hitting my head while sliding down the drain." He paused suddenly and stared at something on Naruto. "Holy shit, Naruto, your arm," he exclaimed, noticing the bright red seeping through the shoulder of his jacket.

"It barely hurts," Naruto lied effortlessly, pulling back the collar of his jumpsuit to examine the wound. He cringed to himself upon seeing the torn flesh and trickling blood. "But, I think we need to get back soon in case there was, like, poison on the kunai."

"Yeah, sure, come one, I'll body flicker us back," Gaara said, grabbing onto the blond.

"You mean we could have bypassed the whole drain thing?" Naruto asked, slightly annoyed.

"Where's the fun in that?" Gaara smirked, seconds before they "transported" back to the house.

* * *

Naruto stumbled down the hallway to the guest room he was occupying. His legs felt like lead and his arm throbbed something fierce. He was going up to get his identification so he could then have some of Suna's medics look at it. Turning the door knob, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Sasuke was there, casually leaning up against the balcony doors and his onyx eyes turned to him as he entered the room.

"Sasuke," Naruto croaked. "What are you doing here?" In an eye's blink, Sasuke had crossed the room and had Naruto pinned up against the door.

"You're hurt," he remarked. It was only then that Naruto realized that blood had run down his arm and was dripping on the floor. "It's not that bad," Naruto said defensively.

Sasuke did not reply but instead unzipped Naruto's jacket and pulled it down to get a better look. He sneered, "Not bad, my ass. Dumbass, you could bleed to death. It's a good thing there's no poison or you would already be dead."

"How do you know it's not poisoned?" Naruto shot back, raising a blond eyebrow.

Sasuke scoffed and pushed down the sleeve farther to gain better access. "The blood would be a different color."

Suddenly, a bright blue light formed from underneath Sasuke's palm. He hovered over the wound. Naruto felt a strange, tingly sensation in his arm and the wound instantly closed up, leaving behind only the faint traces of blood that were easily wiped away.

"Cool, how'd you learn to do that?" Naruto asked, genuinely surprised.

"When I went to Orochimaru, his training sessions were usually pretty brutal. Kabuto taught me how to heal myself so I wouldn't have to go to him all the time," he replied, his eyes turning a drowsy color. Sasuke ran his fingertips over the new scar, earning himself a small shiver from Naruto.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked once more, bringing his eyes up to stare into Sasuke's who in return paused and backed away from the blond.

"Do I need a reason?" he asked, anger quickly rising in his voice.

"Well yeah, you refuse to speak to me for a week and a half and then I find you in my room, not giving me a decent answer as to why you're here and I, just an hour ago, saw my life flash before my eyes and I know what you did in the past and I'm just a little wary…"

"Is that why you think I'm here?" Sasuke interrupted, venom icing his voice. "You're afraid that I'll kill you just because of what I've done in the past. News flash Naruto, you don't know me."

"You've never told me about yourself! You prefer to keep everything locked tight away where no one can get to you. You're just so bitter all the time," Naruto retorted, anger also rising in him.

"You've never asked!" Sasuke countered. "I'm here because I came to tell you that I'm in love with you! I thought I could ignore these feelings that you create in me. I knew that you would never me love me back. I was too stubborn to let you know how I feel. When you're gone, I can't think. I can't sleep. I can't eat. Hell, the damn cat is eating better than I am. What are you doing to me Naruto? It's like you never leave me alone."

Sasuke sunk onto the edge of the bed, watching his helium-filled balloon of pride float away. The tension was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. Sasuke hated awkward silences, loathed them. "Say something, Naruto, before I go crazy," he whispered.

Suddenly, Naruto was before him, kneeling on the bed. "You could have told me that without the whole yelling part," Naruto replied, grinning from ear to ear.

"Shut up, asshole," Sasuke replied, seconds before he smashed their lips together. He kissed the blond with barely leashed hunger, as though he was trying to absorb Naruto's very being.

When Naruto felt Sasuke's tongue graze his bottom lip, he quickly matched with Sasuke, attempting to gain dominance. He was gently pushed back on the pillows, Sasuke's tongue waging war with his own. His hands were pinned above his head; Sasuke had to be the one in control. Naruto didn't mind, it's not like he was in any position to complain.

When Sasuke's mouth kissed a hot path to Naruto's collarbone, the boy immediately stiffened, the incident with Kiba playing fresh in his mind. Sasuke raised himself up to look in the kitsune's eyes. They were wide and dark with fear. Sasuke gently brushed his lips against the boy's.

"I'm not going to force you," he whispered soothingly in his ear.

He allowed his head to fall upon Naruto's chest, gently tracing patterns on his exposed shoulders. Naruto twisted his head and placed a feather-like kiss on the raven's lips.

"You taste like chocolate," he murmured, his eyes drifting shut, for the first time feeling the emptiness of chakra.

Sasuke smiled. _'Wait… I can't eat chocolate.'_

He turned to Naruto but the blond's eyelids were slowly drifting shut and Sasuke knew pretty soon, he would be lost to his surroundings. Wrapping an arm around the boy's waist, Sasuke allowed his eyes to close. Pretty soon, he too drifted off to the quiet breathing of the chest below him.

* * *

**Author's Note: So yeah, before the editing, there was a lemon in here but I've cut that out and moved a few things. I just didn't feel it was time for them to be doing that just yet.**

**Mask of Mirage**


	10. Chapter 9: The Now

**It Can't Be Helped**

* * *

**Author: Mask of Mirage**

**Rating: T**

**Comments: This is the final chapter to It Can't Be Helped. I don't plan on doing a sequel anytime soon. This was purely a one-time thing.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did… well you don't want to know if I did.**

**Mood Song: Before I Forget by Slipknot**

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Now**

* * *

"Damn't Naruto, quit stepping on the back of my heels!"

"Well, if you would walk the same speed as everyone else, then I wouldn't," the blond whispered back just as fiercely, blowing a piece of fringe from his face.

"I cannot believe you talked me into doing this," Sasuke said, stepping over some old gum.

"Shut up and move."

It was the day of the Cherry Blossom Festival and Naruto and Sasuke were stuck being the dragon. Tsunade had got it in her head that they needed to work on their teamwork. She was probably the only one still clueless about their relationship. Upon returning to Konoha, Naruto decided to move in with the Uchiha, a death wish that may be.

The boys could hear the excited whoops and cheers of the crowd from under their heavy fabric prison. Suddenly, Naruto burst out in fits of laughter, causing Sasuke to almost trip over his own feet. "And what is so funny?" Sasuke questioned irritably.

"I-I just realized…that your clan…symbol looks like a…bloody, inflated…tampon," he managed to get out between gulps of air.

Sasuke looked over his shoulder and glared at the kitsune, who just shrugged. "Sorry, I couldn't help it."

"I'll show you what can't be helped," Sasuke murmured huskily.

Naruto then found himself on his back, Sasuke's tongue snaking into his mouth.

Meanwhile, Rookie 9 -who had been watching the parade- stared dumbfounded at the scene before them. The dragon had abruptly stopped, causing everyone behind it to come to a crashing halt.

"Why the hell did they stop?" Sakura exasperated, quite annoyed. "Lee, go get me a water," she ordered not seconds later.

Lee sighed. They had just recently found out that Sakura was with child, his child, and already the mood swings had started. "Yes, my beautiful Cherry Blossom," he mumbled obediently, always the gentleman.

"Isn't that Sasuke and Naruto's costume?" Shikamaru drawled, leaning against the light post near him to avoid being shoved by the crowd that was pressing him from behind.

"I think so," Gaara replied, standing on his tiptoes to see over the heads of the people in front of him.

"What do you think is wrong?" his date asked, tugging on his sleeve. It was Abi, the girl from the market. Gaara had come through with his promise and they had been dating almost a whole month.

"I'll check it out," Neji said, activating his Byakuugan and scanning the floats. "Uh…it's Sasuke and Naruto all right," he murmured catching sight of something he really could have gone without seeing.

To make matters worse for the once-happy parade-goers, it began to rain. Everyone rushed to a dry area to escape the tormenting downpour. Everyone but Sasuke and Naruto who lay under the dragon costume, completely dry.

Sasuke broke for air, staring into the deep blue of his lover's eyes. He was aware of the cold wetness that was seeping through the cloth, the wind that whipped causing the gold fringe to form a sort of halo about his face and the smell of the leaves around him that were becoming wet and soggy. None of this mattered to him. He could have been thrown deep into Dante's Inferno, to reside in the 9th level of Hell where Satan himself stays and Sasuke would've cared less.

All that mattered to him was now; the cobalt of Naruto's eyes, the gold tints that spun through his hair, the sweet smell the boy gave off, the look of absolute happiness that crossed his face when Sasuke looked at him. These were the moments he wanted, the moments to live for.

"I love you," he whispered to the fox.

"Stop talking, Teme," Naruto replied, raising his head to meet Sasuke.

There are things you can control. And then there are those you can't. Pride is a monster, devouring souls to live. Love is an angel, resurrecting those fallen lives.

And above all, some things just can't be helped.

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**A/N: I hope you enjoyed writing it. I hope the ending wasn't too sappy. Thank you all loyal readers. **

**Mask of Mirage**


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